Timer based watering system

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi Guys n Girls,

I want to make a simple timer based water system, based on a 555 timer or d1307 type chip.
I plan on putting a pump in my watering butt, and drip feeding my greenhouse for 1 hour in the morning and one hour in the evenings when I am away.

I DON’T really want a soil moisture tester as part of the circuit as I want to control the amount of water used so it lasts the time I am away. I fear using one and it using all the water for the 5 days in 1 day!!

So what sort of circuit do you suggest, and as I have no idea about code, what code can I use?

Can I run a 5volt pump directly off the Arduino, via the timer, and run the whole thing off a 5-12 volt power supply?

I have looked around quite a lot for a simple system that doesn’t use a moisture sensor, but can’t really find something that includes the code as well.
I have seen a few systems running a 12v pump with relay, but need power for the board and pump at different volts.

I want something simpler.

Any ideas?

Thanks all

Jon

2

Just realised what a stupid question this is!!

I have been searching for watering systems, when all I should have been searching is timer based systems and leaving the watering aspect out of it.
I can add a pump into it instead of a motor.

Feeling rather dumb now, but it took writing it down to see what I really needed.

Xx

3

Jon,
This is why when thinking about some system design, you do block diagrams showing possible connections to what you think you will be using. Then do it again, until you are sure. Then begin to describe it in writing. Then, begin to identify the specifications of the components you need and the sources.

Finally, if there is a computer of some sort involved, begin to make block diagrams of the logic you will need.

Repeat until you have the logic needed to begin to write a program for the computer/controller.

Paul

4

any arduino
a cheap relay module
a couple of resistors
a phone charger
a power supply for the pump and relay module
there are example programs that come with the free software.

you can wire it up so as to count to 12 hours, pump for however long you want, then stop
count to 12 hours, pump, stop... repeat
if you pump 1/2 gallon per day and have a 5 gallon pail, you can last 10 days

as a note you can use a soil sensor.
if the soil is wet, do not pump that time.
if the soil is dry, then pump the same volume as any other day.

that way, all the soil moisture sensor does is to say it is OK to skip a time.
and all other times are the save as if there was no sensor. a fixed time.